As the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine takes place over the next week in Indianapolis, eight former Michigan standouts will participate in the event, attempting to showcase their skills, attributes and abilities to scouts and coaches ahead of April's NFL Draft. A schedule of the event can be found here.
We preview what each former Wolverine invited brings to the Combine, looking back at their Michigan careers, at current draft projections and what to watch from them at the Combine.
Previously: Edge Derrick Moore, Edge/Linebacker Jaishawn Barham, defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny, linebacker Jimmy Rolder
Next up in our series is tight end Marlin Klein
Career at Michigan
Initially hailing from Cologne, Germany before playing high school football at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in Georgia, Klein redshirted his freshman year in 2022, only appearing in two games. His sophomore season saw him play 10 total games, eight on offense, and catch one pass for eight yards. He only played 37 offensive snaps, and 16 special teams snaps.
By 2024, Klein was tapped as a likely replacement for AJ Barner, as the complementary tight end to Colston Loveland. He ultimately ended up playing as the No. 1 tight end for much of the season, starting six games as Loveland battled multiple injuries. Klein finished the season playing 418 offensive snaps (eighth on the offense), and was tied for fourth on the roster with 22 targets as a pass-catcher. He caught 13 of those targets for 108 yards and five first downs (all three figures ranked fifth on the team). He quietly shined as a pass-blocker, allowing zero pressures on 36 pass-blocking snaps.
Klein's best game came against Arkansas State, when he caught all three targets thrown his way for 43 yards. For his efforts, he was named the team's most improved offensive player as voted by his teammates.
His senior season, with Loveland off to the NFL, Klein was voted a team captain, and billed as a potential centerpiece of Michigan's improved passing game. He certainly lived up to expectations in week one, catching six of nine targets thrown his way for 93 yards and a touchdown. But due in part to injury, play-calling, the offense around him and his own performance, Klein only totaled 79 yards receiving in Michigan's next nine games. He caught a pass in the seven of those games he played in, but registered just 10 receptions in those games, on 18 targets, and tallied just three first downs in those games.
Klein did see an uptick in his production in Michigan's final three games, however, as his eight receptions, 76 receiving yards and 14 targets n those three games represented a return to preseason expectations for Klein. Still, his 24 catches and 248 receiving yards on the season were well below outside expectations, as were his 41 targets and one touchdown.
He was named honorable mention All-Big Ten, and declared for the NFL Draft with one season of eligibility remaining.
Latest projections
Klein is ranked No. 199 overall in the NFL Mock Draft database, and the No. 17 tight end
Klein is not projected to be selected in Pro Football Focus's three-round mock draft.
Klein was not listed in The Athletic's top-100 prospects rankings
Klein is No. 172 in CBS Sports' top 330 prospects, and the No. 14 tight end.
What scouts will like
Klein's biggest market efficiency in the pre-draft process will be his alleged athleticism. He ranked No. 35 in The Athletic's**annual Freaks List** for his strong athleticism for his size, with the publication citing a 21.75 mile-per-hour sprint speed, a broad jump of 9-foot-7, a 6.89 in the three-cone drill, and shuttle time of 4.25 seconds.
Added to his 6-foot-6, 250-pound frame, and teams won't have to squint too hard to see a developmental prospect in Klein. And unlike many high-ceiling prospects, Klein spent a season being captain for the Wolverines, and logged 809 snaps on offense the past two seasons. He was a willing blocker for the most part (66th out of 199 qualified tight ends in PFF's run-blocking grade) and played roles on special teams while at Michigan.
Questions to answer
If Klein wants to sneak into the second day of the NFL Draft, he'll need to deliver on that high-level athleticism. That will made up for a career (64 targets, 38 receptions, 364 yards, one touchdown) that compares unfavorably to other NFL Draft prospects. Even beyond the raw numbers, Klein's ability to create separation, log contested catches (three on 10 such targets in his career, per PFF) and deliver extra yardage after the catch will all be areas Klein will try to prove himself in front of scouts and coaches.
In addition to his athleticism, scouts will want to hear from Klein, who simply hasn't played a ton of high-level football in his career compared to multi-year starting tight ends in this year's draft.